Freier

See also: freier and fréier

German

Alternative forms

• Freyer (obsolete)

Etymology

From dated freien (“to propose marriage; to marry”). Semantic pejoration is also found, to a lesser extent, in (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Dutch vrijen (now generally “to have sex”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfʁaɪ̯ɐ/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

Freier m (genitive Freiers, plural Freier)

1. (archaic) suitor (one who courts; who proposes marriage)
2. john (client of a prostitute)

Usage notes

• Freier is now used almost exclusively in the context of prostitution. The old sense is expressed by Heiratskandidat or terms of this kind.

Descendants

• frajer m (Czech)
• פראייר m (fráier) (Hebrew)
• fraier m (Romanian)
• фра́ер m (frájer) (Russian)
• фрајер / frajer m (Serbo-Croatian)

Further reading

• “Freier” in Duden online